The Opelousas courier., 1887-10-08
PERFORMERS AND BOLFERS.
A CLASS WITH WHOM THESE ARE
SYNONYMOUS TERMS.
How Certain Reiormers Have Heretofore
Treated Democratic Nominations.
New Orleans States.

New orleans STATES. /
We think it will not be disputed that the
reformers Of this canvas were the reform
Democrats Of 1884, and that the reformers
Of 1884 were the constitutional. but unor-
ganized, kickers Of the antecedent period.
In the ranks of this faction we recognize
true and unfaltering Democrats, DEM
ocrats who never nave been, and never will
be, eitherrin its victory or defeat, or whether
shaping its policies their W way, or, over
ruled by the majority, serving in the ranks,
unfaithful to their party or laggards in its
cause. But it is unquestionable that even |
the larger part Of this best element of the re-
form faction is composed Of those good and
true, but unfortunately constituted, men
osophy of Pope, that whatever is is right"
and adopted the narrow and Quernlous creed,
that whatever is is wrong, and hence who
are IN a constant state at Of i lrasedoiil.y a tba
existing order in what they. conceive to be
the cause of honesty and patriotism.
Thu other and larger element OF the re-
ton. Il is composed OF the constitutional
''Outs, who, at every defeat or disappolnf-
ment they encounter, are so eager ana ln-
patient that they cannot quietly await their
leadership and rewards, but instantly uphft
the banner of rebellion against the DEGREES
of the party convention, and either, IKE
Achilles, sulk in their tents, or worse stllls
seek the qualification of their own ends aneg
redress for the imaginary ills OF the country
in a bolt, assuming to themselves al the Ylr-
tue, Observation-Disclosures and patriotism OF the
State, while II h they sn9n an9 r ~ others as the
What course this branch OF the reformers
will pursue in the approaching State election,
after they shall have been, as usual, defeated
predict. But We defy a contradiction of the
| assertion, that their invarisble line of action
in the past has been to denounce the result
of the party convention, to seek to dlscredlt
it with the mass OF the party, and, eltner
openly or secretly, seek the defeat OF the
| regular nominees.
We make no charge here at which these
worthy patriots can take offense., Inc P1ef-
yplne il their s~elf-annOunced, and, their own
proclaimed organ. That very able journal
they invariably proclaim from the stump
their ideal of q Democratic newspaper, me
guide e. philosopher s. II e t ana f fs1ena a,c oi yne People bass IN
every canvass. after the, nominations were
made and the reform aspirants defeated, de-
nounced the convention, and day IN gay
out, sought to demoralize. and disorganlze
the Democracy by proclaiming it to be q
patriotic duty tQignore and repudiate party
nominations. Indeed, with the exceptions
of some feeble utterances on natlona IT ostl tafs
Democratic administration, and the state
Democratic LEADERS, the only political doc
trine this proclaimed organ OF the reformers
| mas VlgOrOuSly anu ~COnbluuOubly dutOS0VSN;.
Of late years. has been the repudiation Of
party conventions and the patriotic DUTY OF
boiling n and, eyary regular n3mlnatoh
that is not enSeSrely satisfactory to the re.
viewed the record of the ;Pieagane. on ms
point~ throughout the Hunt bolt, OF which 1t
was the organ as it is now the organ OF Gen.
Nichols nomination: We quoted ron ealtt
ing dennnciations OF party nominations and
the right and duty of ignoring them. 1hose
who did ignore them were, indeed, IT sald'
verv often The better Democrats for doing so.
The u~tterances we quoted from the Pic were
from articles supporting the Hun poll, IN
which remarkable movement Gov. NlchoIs
with the exception of Gov. Warmoth and his
Radical contingent. the most powerful FAC,
tor. And yet no one has ever heard that
Gov. Nichols dissented from, or rebuked, OF
even deprecated these ~utterances OF the re
ayatne SO destructive OF all party. qlsclphne
end SO well calculated, at one OF the mos
important civic eras this country had en-.
countered in more than half 8 century, &c
demoralize the Democratic party OF LQulsl'
ana. There is every reason, theretQre' 70 as
sumo that, if Gov. Nichols Tas. not disposed
to enunciate such views himself, ne dld NO
then, and does not now, regard them as SUI
GENTLY obnoxious to his ideas OF democracy
to denounce or repudiate them.
But the record of the Picdgtae, the accepted
and proclaimed organ 81 the ne r bdftine IS % !
Democratic policy is not, as the States sale
SUNDAY, confined to the Hunt bolt. In tn
!, winter of 1888 and spring OF 1854 we had
candidate for Governor. The Picagn1ae tool
a leading part in that contest. Then, q
: now, il assumed to be the righteous and onl!
genuine representati se Of 7 y = nem %er G.
abuse upon Gov. McEnery, who was one O
| the candidates for the nomination, and upol
his ADMINISTRATION. But it's violence IN be
+ lent denunciations of a Democratic Cover
nor and a Democratic State administration
1 right on the heels of q congressional ant
presidential election, when Its every der4gato
Republicans to ipjure the Democratic part,
in the North, were repudiated by thousand
Of Democrats throughout the State, and Coy
MeEnery was nomaiaarea oyer a5fic ma;or;t
{ of the convention. But did the Pfcdgltfae, Til
organ Of the Reform Democracy. II cham
pion of Gen. Nichols, after taking, part L
, the preliminary struggle, fall into line an!
] give its large influence to the regular noml
? nee7 Did the organ of the .Reformers, VIII
are now running Gov. Nichols, even RENAL
, neutral in the contest between the DemoGra
1 ic nominee for Governor and his Republlea
t opponent tdid not. On the contrary, Jul
rs 1t went outside of the party a few month
later and supported q bolter for Congress l
s the First District; lu st. a n., It 2 ar rev " Gays aonJ ag
ton in the Sixth District, no sooner had NJ
Emery been nominated than it repudiated tn
action of the convention and. IN an elaDt
nnon I'M Democrats to bolt the nomination
: lit declared that boiling was the remedy &c
ring rule; and the whole tenor and purpos
of its1attitude was to get up the policy {
Y boiling as against the Democratic princ1p
of fealty to party nominations: to foster pt
!, iitical guerillaism, under which every dems
gogue, spoils-seeker and rule-or-4aln Gran
? may set himself up as an independent patFlt
and leader. IS against the t1me-honofeC
wise and sound doctrine that, for the PR
motion of Democratic prlnclplG9 and the s,
premacy of Democratic government, ever
nersanai aspirations at the bidding of til
9 representatives Of the party In conVento
e assembled.
No more ti-Democratic, no more d
2 moralizing article, nor enc more
gratifying and encouraging TO the hadle'
n minority In Louisiana, could have been q
yised and printed than the editorial OF IL
organ OF the Reformers, advising Democra
@ to bolt, the nomination of McEnery. {
course the Radical leade.s were swift to sen
g nponi it. It was mamma from the heavens
1. the1f. 1T was o voice from an influential 2
!. legged Democratic newspaper. backed, by q
q Reform Democracy, to Democrats to bolt Il
s. Democrosc nominee and march right oV
:, into the Radical camp and support the hac
Il cal candidate, Stevenson. for Governor:
Promptly the Radicals seized upon this q
70 tisIe and published It in a circular with the
re own comments on it. This circular we nef
with print in full, and we invite the atte
ton of Democrats, especially REFORM leu
o. Gratis, every where in Louisiana, who belle
!. IN party discipline. 70 read it, ponder II we
IL and gay &c thew believe that. it such ide
had been preyaientin 1875, this State won
have ever been redeemed from hadlcaLsn,
d that any sound political policy ever cou
a have been made prevalent in Louisiana.
THE RADICAL CIRCULAR.
g NV ORIEAEs, April Is, 1881.